Progress

• In FY2023, we dedicated nearly $28 million to permanent pay raises (a 7.2% increase over our FY2022 salary pool).  
• For FY2024, we again made similar investments by creating a $5.6 million performance-based merit pool for eligible employees; providing a cost of living adjustment of 2% to regular staff and faculty members who earned under $100,000 (base salary) per year; implementing a $30,000 minimum salary for full-time employees; and dedicating $1.75 million to provide market-adjustment increases to the salaries of faculty members who were underpaid according to market comparisons. 

Compared to two years ago, we have 142 more benefits-eligible faculty members and 215 more benefits-eligible staff members, representing an overall increase of 10%

The data-gathering portion of the compensation study, which began in 2023 with the goal of bringing all employee salaries up to market-competitive levels over the next several years, is almost complete. We will update all staff position descriptions across the university by the end of May, and then, we will use these data to inform our decisions on how to allocate salary increases as we look toward Fall 2024.

This year, we implemented a program to provide a 25% undergraduate designated tuition benefit for dependent children of eligible employees. During Fall 2023 and Spring 2024, the dependent tuition program saved TXST parent employees over $100,000! Because of its success and popularity, this benefit will increase to 50% beginning with the Fall 2024 semester. 

While the nature of the work we do requires most of us to serve in person on our campuses, there are some positions that can be efficiently conducted remotely. To that end, we have created some of the best policies among universities in Texas to help balance the needs of TXST employees while still providing our students with the support and services they need and expect. Last year, for example, we granted 51,576 hours of short-term remote work and approved 1,578 long-term remote-work assignments.  

This year, President Damphousse launched the Deeds of Valor Award as a complement to our long-standing Employee of the Month program to recognize TXST employees who go above and beyond in service to others. Employees are nominated by their peers, and President Damphousse has the honor of presenting one award per month to some amazing individuals. When we launched the program, the response was overwhelming with hundreds of nominations on the first day, which is a testament to the caliber and quality of our employees. 

• Effective September 1, 2023, TXST will invest $12.3 million in our TXST employees for FY24 , a 6.55% increase over our FY23 salary pool. This includes merit pool raises, increasing eligible salaries with a 2% boost, and new staff positions.
• Established a 25% tuition discount for employee dependents beginning Fall 2023.
• Created a discounted meal plan for employees with meals that never expire and with a cost of less than $6 per meal.
• Initiated a salary study with an external partner that will help update our strategic approach and ensure faculty and staff compensation is competitive.
• Spent well over $5 million to permanently increase the salaries of more than 1,400 employees over the past 18 months.
• Removed the requirement that some salary increases have presidential approval.
• Provided 10% pay raises for 100+ student workers, including in our Student Learning Assistance Center.
• Awarded more than $9.6 million in one-time bonuses to employees. 
• Adding more than a dozen new staff positions in critical areas.

• Cabinet approved, where feasible, to allow remote work as a viable option during Energy Conversations Days. It’s now up to each vice president to determine whether their essential offices can be closed during Energy Conservation Days.
• It’s no longer required to secure Vice President approval on AP-12’s Food and Beverage for anything that doesn’t involve alcohol.
• The Staff Handbook, which was previously printed, has been moved to fully online and has become a digital catalogue of frequently used human resources policies and procedures.
• TXST will utilize Adobe Sign for more document approvals and provide templates for many commonly used documents that are routed for approval.
• The required SACSCOC outcomes assessment reports have been reduced significantly for our administrative support units.
• Salary increases over 10% or $10,000 no longer require presidential approval.
• The communication protocol of Accounts Payable has been modified to alter the tone of emails by changing formatting specifications that can sometimes be misinterpreted as adversarial.